This is a Greek word which is translated
church.
It signifies a company,
assembly, or body of people bound or
compacted together.

To-day there are many organizations
claiming to be the church, and having
various bonds of union; but we wish to
know, upon the authority of God's Word,
what ekklesia, body, or church, Jesus
established, and what are its bonds of
union; secondly, we wish to show that
every Christian should belong to that
church; thirdly, the injurious effects of
joining the wrong ekklesia or church;
and fourthly, having joined the right
church, what are the results of losing our
membership.

First, then, the church which Jesus
began to gather during his ministry, and
which was recognized by the Father at
Pentecost after their ransom price was
paid, was the little company of disciples
who had consecrated earthly time, talents
and life, a sacrifice to God.
They
were organized and bound together as
members of one society, and as such had
laws and government, and consequently
a head or recognized ruling authority.
The bonds, were bonds of love and common
interest.
Since all were enlisted
under the captaincy of Jesus, the hopes
and fears, joys and sorrows, and aims of
one were those of the other; and thus
they had a far more perfect union of
heart than could possibly be had from a
union on the basis of any man-made
creed.
Thus their organization was of
the Spirit; their law for the government
of each was love, and all as a whole were
put under obedience to the "law of the
Spirit" as it was expressed in the life,
actions, and words of their Lord.
Their
government was the will of him who
said, "If ye love me keep my
commandments."

Thus we see the early church organized,
governed, and in perfect unity and
harmony under the rulership or headship of Jesus.
Contrast this church organization with what now affects to be a
continuance of the sameviz.: the various
denominational organizations, each
of which binds its members to a mental
union on the basis of some creed or
dogma of its own (many of them anything
but love -ly) and each having its
own laws.

These laws emanate from their heads,
and rulers or law-givers; so it is clearly
seen that these present day churches,
have and recognize as heads, or directing,
ruling powers over them, the ancient
founders of their various creeds, each
contradicting the other, while their clergy,
in conferences, councils, synods, and presbyteries,
variously interpret and enforce
the "traditions of the elders" which
"make void the Word of God."
These
take the place of the true head of the
churchJesusand the true teacher and
guide into all truth, the Holy Spirit.
Hear the prophet Isaiah express it.
(chap. 9:15.)
"The ancient and honorable,he is the head, and the prophet thatteacheth lies, he is the tail." And the
whole nominal system is described in the Revelation as "Babylon"confusionPapal mother and Protestant daughters.

Will they own this to be so?
No, for
the lukewarm nominal church of to-day
believes herself to be rich and increased
with goods, having need of nothing; not
knowing that she is wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked.
(Rev. 3:17.)

These are "hard sayings, who can receive
them?"
But these are not our
sayings: it is the warning voice of the
"sure word of prophecy...whereunto
ye do well that ye take heed."
And it
is a loving voice, for again our Lord declares:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten."

There are two senses in which the truechurch of Christ may be considered:
All who, like the early church, were fully
consecrated to the doing of our Father's
will, amenable only to His will and
government, recognizing and obeying
none otherthese saints, from the beginning
of the Gospel Age down to its close,
when all of this class are sealed, constitute
the "CHURCH OF THE FIRST BORN,"
whose names are written in heaven.
These are all one in aim, hope, and suffering,
and in due time will be joint-heirs
with Jesus Christ to the great inheritanceheirs of the kingdom which God hath
promised for them that love him.

The other sense in which this same
class is recognized, is by counting a part
for the whole; thus all the living of this
class may be spoken of as the church; or,
again, any part of this class of living
followers who may meet together may
properly be called the church; for, by
the word of Jesus we know that wherever
two or three are assembled he will be
among them, consequently that would be
a church meetingan assembly of the
"church of the First Born."
The general assembly will be, when all the church
are made like, and glorified with, their
headJesus.

Such, then, is our definition of the
church of Christ; it is perfectly illustrated
by Paul (Rom. 12:4,5) when he compares
the church to a human body.
In
this figure Jesus represents the head, and
all who are his constitute the body, over
and through which the head rules.
Jesus
has been and always will be the head
over his church as a whole; he is likewise
the head and ruler of the entire
living church, and in every assembly
where two or three meet in his name he
is the head, ruler, and teacher.

Is it asked, in what sense does he
teach?
We answer, by exercising the qualities
of the head, or teacher; by using one
or more of those present as his mouth-pieces
in unfolding truth, strengthening
faith, encouraging hope, inspiring zeal,
etc., just as the head of your body can
call upon one member to minister to another.
But here a word of caution: If one
becomes a useful instrument as a righthand, he should take care that he aspire
not to become the head.
Be not puffed
up; pride will paralyze and render useless.
"Be not ye called Rabbi, (master,
teacher,) for one is your master,
(head,) even Christ, and all ye are
brethren."
And let not the least member
despise his office, "for if all were
one member, where were the body?"
"Nay, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary""God hath set the members every oneof them, in the body as it hath pleasedhim."

How simple, beautiful and effectual is
God's plan of organization!

This brings us to our second proposition,
viz.: that all Christians should be
joined to this organization.
In the light
of what has just been said as to the class
constituting the Church which Jesus organized,
it is evident that if you have
given up all your will, talent, time, etc.,
you are recognized by Jesus as a follower,
and member of the ekklesia, or
body of which he is the head, whose
names are written in heaven.
Thus we
join Jesus' Church and have our names
recorded as members by consecration.
But, says one, must I not join some organization
on earth, assent to some
creed, and have my name written on
earth?
No; remember that Jesus is
your pattern and teacher, and neither
in his words nor acts will you find any
authority for binding yourselves with
creeds and traditions of the elders, which
all tend to make the word of God of
none effect, and bring you under a bondage
which will hinder your growth in
grace and knowledge, and against which
Paul warned you, saying, "Stand fast,
therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and be not entangled
again with the yoke of bondage."
(Gal. 5:1.)

But some say: If it is not proper to
unite with any of the present nominal
churches, would it not be well to form
a visible organization of our own?
Yes,
this is what we havean organization
modeled after that of the early church.
We think we have come back to primitive
simplicity.
The Lord Jesus alone
is our head or lawgiver; the Holy
Spirit is our interpreter and guide into
truth; our names are all written in
heaven; we are bound together by love
and common interest.

Do you inquirehow shall we know
one another?
We reply, how could we
help knowing one another when the
Spirit of our Master is made manifest in
word and act and manner and look?
Yes, the living faith, the unfeigned love,
the long-suffering meekness, the child-like
simplicity, coupled with the constancy
and zeal of maturity, make manifest
the sons of God, and we need no earthly
record, for the names of all such are
written in the Lamb's book of life.

Do the sick need visiting or assistance?these stand ready with consecrated
time.
Does the Lord's work
require money?these stand ready with
consecrated means.
Does His work
bring the reproach of the world, and
of a degenerate nominal churchthese have also sacrificed reputationallall to God.

But again, do you inquire how shall
we deal with one who walks disorderly
in our midst; if we have no organization
such as we see about us, how can
we free ourselves from such, as the Lord
requires us to do?
We answer, Do
just as Jesus and Paul directed.

Now, as in the early church, there are
various degrees of advancement among
the individual members; and Paul says,
(1 Thes. 5:14,) some are feeble-minded,
comfort them; some are weak, support
them; but while you should be patient
toward all, you should warn the disorderly,
(those who are drifting away from the
true spirit of Christ).
Don't mistake the
disorderly for the weak, and comfortthem; nor for the feeble-minded, and support them; but patiently, lovingly, warn the disorderly.
Whom does he
call disorderly?
Doubtless there are
many ways of walking disorderly, but
in 2 Thes. 3:11, he speaks of some who
work not at all, but are busy-bodies, these he says should do as he didwork, that they be not chargeable to
any; and if any will not work, neither
should he eat.
Thus he said he did,
that he might be an example to others.
He warns us also against immoral and
unjust persons, and those who wrest
(twist) the Scriptures, and thus turn the
truth of God into a lie.
Then again, vs. 14:
After you have warned such a one,
if he "obey not,...note that
man, and have no company with him,
that he may be ashamed.
Yet, count
him not as an enemy, but admonish him
as a brother."

Again Jesus gives explicit directions
where there is a matter of offense between
two brethren, (Matt. 18:15,17):
"If thy brother shall trespass against
thee, go and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone; if he shall hear
thee, thou hast gained thy brother; but
if he will not hear thee, then take with
thee one or two more, that in the mouth
of two or three witnesses every word
may be established.
And if he shall
neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church, (the company of brethren who
assemble together,) but if he neglects to
hear the church, let him be unto thee as
an heathen man and a publican."
If,
under the organization of our Head, we
heed his commands, which we will do if
we love him, how few will be the misunderstandings
and difficulties among
the brethren.

This organization has its evangelists,
pastors and teachers appointed and directed
by the Lord.
They need no laying
on of hands by the so-called "Apostolic
succession"; for the "Spirit of the
Lord" hath anointed all the members of
the body "to preach," (Isa. 61:1,) and
it is the duty of every member of the
body to exercise his office for the edification
of the other members.
How complete
is the organization of the Church
of Christ with its heaven-written, love-bound
and Spirit-ruled membership,
and how sad the error of mistaking the
nominal for the real Church!

The importance of our fourth proposition
need not be urged.
It would, indeed,
be a dreadful calamity to lose our
membership in the true Church or body
of Christ.
And no member is out of
this danger except when keeping a vigilant
watch over the old nature, counted
dead, lest it come to life again, and assert
itself in the form of pride, selfishness,
envy, evil-speakingor what not?
But if filled with love (the love that
prompts to sacrifice) and clothed with
humility, and under cover of the redeeming
blood, we are safe in the Church
(body), having the assurance that it is
our "Father's good pleasure to give us
the kingdom."

Yes, the kingdom is the glorious destiny
of the true Churchthe "little flock"now treading the pathway of
humiliation and drinking the bitter cup
of death.
The glory that shall be revealed
in us, doth not yet appear except
to the eye of faith, but the temptations
and trials are very apparent on every
hand.
"Let us, therefore, fear lest a
promise being left us of entering into
his rest, any of you should seem to come
short of it." (Heb. 4:1.)

Thus Paul warned others, and thus he [R664 : page 8] feared, lest (even after) having preached
to others, he himself should be a castaway.
(1 Cor. 9:27.)
We may have
our names cast out as evil by those of
the nominal Church, and yet "rejoice
and be exceeding glad because our
names are written in heaven."
They
may frown upon you and despitefully
use you and say all manner of evil
against you falsely, or they may seek to
win you back by flattery, saying they cannot afford to lose your influenceyou could do so much good by remaining
among them.
Oh, how necessary in this "evil day" is the faith

Dearly beloved, let us again repeat
the warning: "Stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made you free,
and be not again entangled with the
yoke of bondage"not even in the
slightest degree.
Make sure that you
are of the Church which alone is recognized
in Scripture and cut loose completely
from all the Babylon systems
which it condemns"Come out of her
my people."